 Massive blasts rocked the armory of a Philippines police camp, which also houses a prison for Islamic militants, in suburban Manila shortly before midnight (1600 GMT) Monday, officials said. No casualties were reported in the explosions, which witnesses said tore through an underground magazine and surrounding buildings inside the sprawling National Capital Region Police Command in the Camp Bagong Diwa complex in eastern Manila. Several buildings were still on fire about an hour later, with the menace of exploding munitions preventing firemen from approaching the area. "The ammunition dump exploded, causing damage to several nearby buildings," national police chief Arturo Lomibao told reporters. "There is no indication" of sabotage, he said. "Based on evidence this was not caused by an enemy attack."| Even though they can't get near the place? |
He said police did not know the cause of the blasts. "We should find out in due time," he added.| "Yasss...soon, very soon." |
Chief Superintendent Aneto Tolentino, the logistics chief of the Manila police, said a police guard on duty was told to say he saw a lightning bolt strike the reinforced concrete bunker shortly before the explosions started. The magazine is one of two ammunition dumps at the site and contained "defective explosives that are due for disposal," he said over GMA television here.| I'm not a ammo or engineering maven...is it even possible that a lightning strike could ignite a reinforced concrete bunker full of 'defective' explosives? |
Most of its contents are eventually transported to an air force bombing range in the northern Philippines where they are safely exploded, he added. Another ammunition dump for non-defective munitions was not affected by the blasts.The police camp also houses a high-security prison for Islamic militants. Twenty-two inmates were killed in a prison revolt that was put down by force there last March. The blasts occurred shortly after President Gloria Arroyo put on her finest sash -n- sprockets ensemble and flew to New York to attend a general assembly meeting of the United Nations. Lomibao said it was just a "coincidence" that the fire occurred shortly after she left.| It's all so terribly coincidental. |
Police in Manila had been placed on high alert amid rumors of possible destabilization attempts following the defeat of an impeachment complaint against Arroyo last week for alleged election fraud. |